Compensator



(No Model.)

D. WHITMORE.

GOMPENSATOR.

No. 546,569. v Patented Sept. 17, 1895. V Q

INVE'WTOQ:

ma We WITNESSES NITED STATES COMPENSATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,569, dated September 1'7, 1895.

Application filed December 26, 1894. Serial No. 532,928. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID WHITMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scotch Ridge, in the county of Wood and State of' applied to wire fences and which will auto- I maticall y act or operate to retain the fencewires in a taut condition, yet allowing them to freely expand and contract as they are influenced by the weather or by other causes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fence embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in both the figures of the drawings.

The numerals 1, 2, and 3 represent one end and two of the intermediate posts, respectively, the same having their lower ends set in the ground and secured or anchored in any suitable manner.

The posts 2 and 3 are provided at intervals with staples 4, which are preferably staggered, and passing loosely through the same are the series of strands of fence-wires 5, whose ends occur adjacent to the post 1 and are all connected in any desired manner to a vertical compensating or evening bar 6,1ocated in advance of the post 1.

The wires 5 between the posts 1, 2, and 3 are connected and spaced apart so as to retain their relative alignment by means of any number of suitably-arranged vertical staywires 7, the same in the present instance being kinked at such points as intersect the wires 5, as indicated at 8, and said stay-wires are connected to said wires 5 by means of a series of coiled-wire fasteners 9, although other forms of stays and fasteners may, if desired, be employed.

An inclined wooden brace 10 may be interposed between the lower end of the post 2 and the upper end of the end post 1, the ends of said brace being preferably let into the posts '1 and 2, for which purpose the posts are provided with mortises.

The face of the post 1 is provided near its top with a loose pulley 13 and near its bottom with a similar pulley 14, the two pulleys being mounted upon suitable stub-shafts.

A wire compensator 15 is passed about the pulleys 13 and 14 and has its two terminals made fast to the compensator or evener bar 6.

Secured to about midway the wire 15, as indicated at 16, is the draft-chain 17, the same passing along in line with the fence and after passing through an opening 12, formed in the post 2, is secured to an eye 18, located upon the upper side near the inner end of a compensating-beam 19. This beam has an inner rounded end 20 and is fulcrumed on said end and bears loosely upon the side of the post 2, against which it abuts.

The outerend ofthebeam,beingtheheavier, has a tendency to lower, and thus exerts a strain upon the draft-chain 17 and through the medium of the wire 15 constantly draws upon the evener-bar' 6 and maintains the several fence wires under tension and consequently taut.

The compensating-beam, it will be observed, is guided in its movements, as the wires expand or contract, by means of a vertical guide-frame 17*, secured to the inner face of the post 3, and the draft-chain 17 is guided by the perforation 12 in the post 2.

It will be observed that the device is entirely automatic in its action, requiring no attention whatever, and that the fence-wires will be constantly maintained under tension and yet will readily yield to any natural contraction.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination with the posts 1, 2 and 3, the staples and wires passing loosely therethrough, of the evener-bar in advance of the post 1 to which the wires are attached, the pulleys 13 and 14 attached loosely to and located near the upper and lower ends of the post 1, the compensating-wire 15 passing over the pulleys and connected at its end to the evener-bar opposite the pulleys, the beam bearing loosely at its inner end against the post 2, the eye thereon, and the chain 17, connected to the eye and to the intermediate point of the wire 15, substantially as specified. 2. The combination with the posts 1,2 and 3, the staples 2 on the posts 2 and 3, the evener-bar 6 in advance of and adjacent to the post 1, the line wires passed loosely through the staples and connected to the evener-bar, of a fulcrumed beam bearing loosely at its inner end against the post 2, the upper and lower pulleys on the face of the post 1, the wire passing around the pulleys and connected to the evener-bar, the draft connection between the same andthe beam, and the inclined brace 10, interposed between the posts 1 and 2, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with the posts 1, 2, and 3, the line-wires and their supports, and the evener-bar attached to the ends of the linewires, of the pulleys secured to the post 1 the wire 15 passing therearound and attached at its ends to the evener-bar, the vertical guide at the side of the post 3, the compensatingbar having its free end supported therein and its inner end fulcrumed against the side of the post 2 and near the same provided with an eye, and the draft-chain secured to said eye, passed through a guiding perforation in the post 2 and secured to the wire 15, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID XVIlIlMORIC. Witnesses:

IRA (J. TABER, O. R. PAINTER. 

